Projects

Wednesday, 28 March 2012

An Evening In Edinburgh (Inky Fingers)

On the way to the venue I saw a woman drop her pants and take
a piss in the middle of the street shouting “FUCK OFF! FUCK OFF!” as her piss trickled
down the road.

After I got off stage at Inky Fingers a guy in the
audience came up to me and said “I really liked that piece you did about
domestic violence – it was bold. I have a poem about three squirrels raping a
pigeon."

Left venue and went to traditional Scottish pub with
Harry Giles (host of Inky Fingers). We were followed by a man who read on the open
mic. We sat at the back next to five whiskey drinking fiddle players while he told me
what it was like to be in a mental asylum in the 70's.

Back at Harry’s house he showed me The Salt Book Of Younger Poets. I saw a poet in there who is born in 1991.
This depressed both of us.

On train back to London I overheard a guy say he's quiet
during sex because he always watched porn on mute. Good band name - Porn On
Mute.

I was there Ray, I didn't get a chance to speak to you but I thought you did a superb set, and as it was the first time I had performed at an open mic it was good for me to see someone like yourself perform. I hope to have learned a lot just by being there. Take this as a digital handshake of thanks. Mark Gallagher.

Raymond Antrobus Bio

Raymond Antrobus is a poet and former lead educator on the Spoken Word Education MA Programme at Goldsmiths University. Currently he is a one of the London Laureates. Born and bred in Hackney, he is also co-curator of popular London poetry events Chill Pill (Soho Theatre and The Albany) and Keats House Poets Forum. Raymond’s work has appeared on BBC Radio 4, The Big Issue, The Guardian and at TedxEastEnd. As well as respected literary journals such as The Rialto, Magma, Oxford University Diaspora's Programme and Alaska University Press. Sky Arts and Ideas Tap listed Raymond in the top 20 promising young artists in the UK. His second collection - Shapes & Disfigurements Of Raymond Antrobus - is published by Burning Eye Books.
“His monologues are stunning studies of voice and substance, and his lyric poems are graceful and finely crafted” - Kwame Dawes
“Raymond uses nostalgia for a place and a time, but resists sentimentality completely. He makes the reader/listener experience the moment with all the senses and very skilfully sets that up against a harsher reality” – Imtiaz Dharker